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ORDINA NCE NO. ORD-22-0014
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COU NCIL OF THE
CITY OF LONG BEACH AM ENDING CHAPTER 16.16 OF
THE LON G BEACH MUN ICIPAL CODE BY ADDING
SECTION 16.16.140 RELATING TO PROHIBITING ADULTS
NO T ACCOM PANYING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12
FROM PARK PLAYGR OUN DS
WHEREAS, safe outdoor spaces are vital to the healthy development of children, as they provide exercise and recreation areas, emotional and social enrichment opportunities, and promote community use of public green spaces; and WHEREAS, in playground design, everything from the height of the structure to the type of surfacing used is based on guidelines that reflect use by toddlers and children aged 2 to 5 and/or 5 to 12 years old; and
WHEREAS, adult use of playground equipment can result in structural damage that may lead to safety hazards for the children who use the equipment after them; and
WHEREAS, residents of the City of Long Beach ("City") have recently reported adults misusing public playground spaces by engaging in other activities that discourage proper use by children and their guardians; and WHEREAS, given the recent upticks in vandalism and damage, and resident concerns about the safety and availability of the City's playgrounds to children, it is necessary for the City to promote measures for safe outdoor spaces; and WHEREAS, one such measure is to establish "kids zones," at park playgrounds, in which an adult not accompanying a child under the age of 12 is prohibited 27 from entering, which would seek to ensure the City's playground equipment and play areas 28 specifically designed for children remain safe and available spaces for use by children of MJK:vr A21-02434 (4.25.22)
01312500.DOCX
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1 the aforementioned age groups; and
2 WHEREAS, these kids zones would be easily identifiable and enforceable 3 with signage identifying the zone area; and
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28 WHEREAS, these kids zones would not cover other non-playground public spaces in parks, including, but not limited to, benches, fields, and restrooms; and WHEREAS, in establishing an ordinance prohibiting adults from entering or remaining within these designated areas without accompanying a child under the age of 12, the City would be following suit of other jurisdictions in California, New York, Oregon, Colorado, and Florida, in an effort to preserve such spaces and equipment for children for which they were intended;
follows:
NO W, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Long Beach ordains as Section 1. Section 16.16.140 entitled "Park Playgrounds-Adults not accompanying children under the age of 12 prohibited" is hereby added to Chapter 16.16 of the Long Beach Municipal Code to read as follows:
16.16.140 - Park Playgrounds-Adults not accompanying children under the age of 12 prohibited.
A. No adult shall be present on any City park playground unless the adult is accompanying a child or children under the age of 12, lawfully under their custody or control, including a parent or guardian, babysitter, caretaker or other designee of a parent or guardian having sole or joint supervisory responsibility over the child, using such playground.
B. "Park playground" or "playground" for purposes of this section means any park area which has been designated by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Director, or designee, as a "Kids Zone", and on which clear and visible signage has been posted providing notice of such "Kids Zone" status and the prohibition in subsection A.
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23 Section 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of this ordinance by the City Council and cause it to be posted in three (3) conspicuous places in the City of Long Beach, and it shall take effect on the thirty-first (31st) day after it is approved by the Mayor.
I hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was adopted by the City Council of the City of Long Beach at its meeting of May 10 , 2022, by the following vote:
Ayes: Council members:
Noes: Councilmembers:
Absent: Council members:
Recusal( s ): Council members:
Zendejas, Allen, Saro, Uranga,
Austin, Richardson.
None.
Price, Supernaw, Mungo.
None.
24 Approved:
25 (Date)
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28 MJK:vr A21-02434 (4.25.22)
01312500.DOCX
3 AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
STATE OF CA LIFORNIA ) ss
COUNTY OF LOS ANGE LES )
CITY OF LO NG BEACH )
Tamela Aus tin being duly sworn says: That I am em ployed in the Office of the City Clerk of the City of Long Beach; that on the 10th day of May, 2022, I posted three true and correct copies of ORD-22-0014 in three conspicuous places in the City of Long Beach, to wit: One of said copies in the lobby of Civic Chamb ers; one of said copies in the Main Libra ry; and one of said copies on the front counter of the Office of the City Clerk.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
This 1 Qth day of May 2022.